Aspects herein relate to a medical device for providing a leak-resistant seal for use in a vascular access device. In various embodiments, a device for vascular access hemostasis is included. The device can include an enclosure configured to at least partially receive a medical device, the enclosure defining a cavity. The enclosure can have a first seal portion and a second seal portion, the cavity disposed between the first seal portion and the second seal portion. The enclosure can include the second seal portion comprising a split, septum seal. The enclosure can include a barrel in structural communication with the second seal portion. The device can include a constriction ring disposed around the barrel, the constriction ring interfacing with the second seal portion to limit movement of the split, septum seal.

A delivery device for an implantable medical device may include an inner shaft configured to retain the implantable medical device at its distal end, an outer shaft slidably disposed about the inner shaft, and a locking hub affixed to the outer shaft. The locking hub may include a housing, a piston element in the housing, an actuator operatively coupled to the piston element, and a clamping gasket made of a compressible material and disposed in the housing. The actuator may be movable relative to the housing between unlocked and locked conditions. The clamping gasket may have a lumen defining a first diameter with the actuator in the unlocked condition and a second diameter with the actuator in the locked condition, the second diameter being less than the first diameter. The outer shaft and the locking hub may be fixed to the inner shaft with the actuator in the locked condition.

Disclosed herein are hemostasis seals with low pass-through friction force. The disclosed seals are configured for use with transcatheter delivery systems or vascular access sheath systems. The seals are a unitary design that provide low pass-through friction when passing a catheter through the seal. The specifics of the design that provides the desirable low pass-through friction include the physical configuration of the seals and the material used for the seals. The disclosed seals include an outer portion, an inner annular portion, and a webbing portion connecting the outer portion to the inner annular portion, forming a suspended O-ring. The suspended O-ring provides an opening through which a delivery device can be passed and applies a relatively low friction force on the delivery device as it is passed through the opening.

Improved methods and apparatuses for heart valve repair in a beating heart of a patient utilize an exchangeable heart valve repair system. Heart valve repair system can include a port adapted to be seated in the heart wall and an imaging catheter slidable within the port. The imaging catheter can be selectively locked relative to the port for insertion into the heart and unlocked once the port is seated to allow the imaging catheter to move distally towards target tissue. A deployment catheter slidably disposed in the imaging catheter and a repair cartridge slidably disposed in the deployment catheter can be used to capture the target tissue and deploy a repair device into the tissue after proper capture is confirmed. System elements can be selectively removed from and replaced within port to deploy additional repair devices while port maintains a seal while elements are and are not inserted.

The outer tube includes two insertion holes which are formed in a cross-sectional D-shape via a partition wall provided in the central part in a cross-section vertical to respective axial directions of the insertion holes. A slit of a valve body located in the insertion hole is disposed along reference line passing through centers of respective arcs of the insertion holes as seen from the axial directions of the insertion holes. Therefore, two leaflets of the slit abut on an arc edge of the insertion hole and a D-shaped cut part of the partition wall respectively when the insertion part of the treatment tool is internally fitted, and they are deformed into the same shape. Since there is no difference in stress applied to two leaflets, it is possible to secure the airtightness by the slit over a long period of time.

Methods and apparatus for heart valve repair utilize a heart valve repair device including a generally annular ring-like structure and a net structure. The ring-like structure is seated in the valve annulus with the net structure extending from the ring-like structure through the coaptation zone between leaflets. The net structure can then be anchored to a heart structure with a suture. Net structure extending between leaflets helps prevent prolapse of leaflets and can aid in coaptation.

A hemostasis valve assembly includes a housing and a valve member. The housing includes a central bore. The valve member is positioned within the housing and includes opposed first and second primary surfaces, a thickness, an opening, and first and second slits. The valve thickness is defined between the first and second primary surfaces. The opening is formed in the first primary surface. The first and second slits intersect each other and extend through a portion of the valve thickness. At least one of the first and second slits is accessible within the opening.

Improved methods and apparatuses for heart valve repair in a beating heart of a patient utilize an exchangeable heart valve repair system. Heart valve repair system can include a port adapted to be seated in the heart wall and a catheter slidable within the port. The catheter can be selectively locked relative to the port for insertion into the heart and unlocked once the port is seated to allow the catheter to move distally towards target tissue. System elements can be selectively removed from and replaced within port to deploy repair devices while port maintains a seal while elements are and are not inserted.

An introducer is configured to distinguish an introducer provided with a sheath tube whose wall thickness is reduced, from an introducer provided with a sheath tube whose wall thickness is not reduced, and to recognize the relationship between the inner diameter and the outer diameter for the sheath tube in which the wall thickness is reduced. An introducer includes an introducer sheath and a dilator. The introducer further includes a first information piece on at least one of the introducer sheath and the dilator and has an inner diameter dimension of the sheath tube as an index. Furthermore, a second information piece having an outer diameter dimension of the sheath tube as an index is on at least one of the introducer sheath and the dilator.

Methods and apparatus for heart valve repair utilize a heart valve repair device including a generally annular ring-like structure and a net structure. The ring-like structure is seated in the valve annulus with the net structure extending from the ring-like structure through the coaptation zone between leaflets. The net structure can then be anchored to a heart structure with a suture. Net structure extending between leaflets helps prevent prolapse of leaflets and can aid in coaptation.